Necklace of El-Ahriarah: The Illness
by Drewmoviefan
Summary: Kevin Marcus has gotten himself sick, but thanks to his family they're always looking after him and taking care of him.
1. The Illness

Author's Note: This story is regarding to the current happenings of Coronavirus. Please everybody be safe and always take care of yourselves, including washing your hands. As if like The Rabbits of Watership Down are advising you to do the same.

One day, in the middle of the night, I couldn't breath that my chest was closing on me too tight. It seems that I've been stuck as a human for two nights after my Sunday evening. The rabbits found it strange that I was still human that I would turn back into the rabbit on Monday. However, it didn't happened. I was having sore throat problems and eventually this evening I was having difficult of breathing and my body started to grow cold. I than fall out, as I attempt to wake up my mate.

In the morning, I started to cough repetitively that I couldn't stop. I was too tired that I hardly got some sleep. Thethuthinnang attempted to have me up for the morning's day, until she realized what was happening. From my coughs and loss of voice, she could barely hear my voice. She went off to find Hazel and Captain Holly. It was minutes, until I fell asleep again while my chests continue hardening my breathing.

When I woke up, to see Thethuthinnang, Hazel, Captain Holly, Hyzenthlay, and Blackberry entered the burrow. Thethuthinnang became very worried that I had the great sickness.

"He can't be sick, I can't let him be taken by _The Black Rabbit_!" she feared.

"That won't happen, sister." Hyzenthlay comforts her.

"If only if we know how to help cure a human from illness like this." Blackberry stated. "Unless we could find some herbs to ease the cough."

"Strawberry knows some herbs around. She found some Primroses nearby." Hyzenthlay suggested. "Sister, care to join me?"

Thethuthinnang nodded her head and joined Hyzenthlay to find Strawberry to gather some Primroses and other herbs to ease my coughing. Hazel, Captain Holly and Blackberry approached towards me.

"No!" I coughed. "I don't want you to get sick."

"You won't. We'll have to lift you up and find another burrow temporary. For your mate's sake." Hazel told me.

"Alright." I acknowledged.

"Don't worry, son. It'll be near by The Big Root." my father informed me, as the two got to my side to help me up. I was able to walk, but not too greatly. Hazel and Captain Holly kept me steady, as I was walking.

It was only short distances, until there was a empty burrow. Blackberry helped me with my blanket, as I had my pillow. He than set them all up, before I lie back down. My coughs resumed, as I started to feel cold.

"By _Frith_, Kevin... you're cold." Captain Holly came close to me in hopes to keep me warm.

"Bigwig, Fiver, find some water from the brook. Quickly." Hazel spoke two rabbits outside of the burrow.

"Blackberry, keep a look out for Hyzenthlay and the others." Captain Holly instructed Blackberry. I became very tired that my vision is fading. "Stay with me son! Kevin stay with me! You'll be fine."

* * *

I fainted, as my father tried to have me stay awake. I didn't know what happened until I woke up around nightfall. My coughs were gone, but still have throat problems and still feel a bit cold, but the warmness was battling against the cold. It wasn't just the blanket. I than noticed heavy warmness was coming from... my father. Captain Holly was beside me to keep me warm to battle the pneumonia. I didn't want him to stay with me and risk getting himself sick. I was too tired to wake him up that I fell back asleep.

In the next morning, I was still feeling a bit sick. I than spotted that Dad was nowhere in sight. When I looked by the burrow's entrance, Captain Holly just came by carrying herbs with some _flayrah_, as he hopped towards me. He than set them next to a bowl of water.

"Good morning, son." he said with relief from me appearing better.

"Good morning." my voice was still hoarsely, but managed to give him a morning greeting.

"Your voice still sounds like a dying gull." he sat next to me.

"I hate of having a flu or virus." I said.

"Don't talk son... rest your voice. You'll be better in due time." he gently hushed me.

"You shouldn't be with me, nor Hazel, Thethuthinnang, Hyzenthlay, Blackberry and the others trying to help me. I don't want you guys getting sick."

"The only thing right now you need to do is get your strength back from The Great Sickness."

"I don't know if you call that great." I doubted.

"Kevin. You were asleep for two days. The warren was worried about you and feared if the sickness would take you." I never knew I was asleep for a long time. "Now..." he gathered the _flayrah_ and the herbs together. "... have some Primroses and Thyme. You'll be better. With some water of course."

I was able to eat the herbs, before drinking a gulp of water. I than rested on my pillow. "I always knew after _Efrafa_, you'll look after me, like my parents would."

"Have some _flayrah_... you need to eat something." he told me.

I only had a small amount of _flayrah_ to have something soft go down my throat. "Thank you. All of you..."

"We're very welcome. Probably tomorrow, everyone will be able to see you up and about again." I looked back to see Hazel standing just outside, with a warm smile. "Now get some rest."

"Hazel, wait!" I stopped him before he departed. "Does she know and everyone al-"

"Your mate is alright and knows what is happening, as well as everybody else is. You'll be able to see everyone tomorrow." he informed and left the burrow.

I let out a sigh of relief. Captain Holly nuzzled me. "You see. _Frith_ is watching over everyone in this warren. Now get some rest."

"Thank you Dad... I love you." I lie next to his soft side and started to fall asleep.

"I know you do son... I know you do." he responded back soothingly with a nuzzle. As I was resting, I started to hear someone singing nearby... it wasn't my phone, but it sounded someone that I could recognize around this warren.

In the next day, I was better and I was able to see everyone's faces again, including Thethuthinnang. I than remembered her singing from yesterday. I nuzzled her, as I was than turned back into a rabbit. "Thank you Thethuthinnang... thank you for your beautiful voice of song."

She smiled warmly and nuzzled me. "Your welcome and I'm glad you're better."


	2. The News

It was around noon, that Hazel and few of us in the _Owsla_ went out to retrieve some _flayrah_ from the farm. The dog Bob wasn't even in his doghouse, which it wasn't normal to the rabbits. However, it was perhaps Tom and his wife may have heard our "Ghost Prank" during our night raid seasons ago. There were no smell of poisons, Tab around, nor anything harmful that could obstruct us from retrieving the _flayrah_. Everyone in the group than just dig in the _flayrah_, while saving some for everyone else in the warren. After eating a few lettuce leaves, I noticed the window was opened. I attempt to sniff for Tab's scent, but there was no sign. Did she already came out and began stalking us? I wasn't sure. I decided to check to see if it was true. When I got up to the window, I could see the couple and Lucy were watching TV. Apparently, they were watching news that it appears to be from the BBC News.

The news was reporting of a pandemic going off, around the world. Their latest cover of the story was that a virus struck in the United States, and my home state was one of them: California. They stated that they enforced a "stay at home" lock down. The news also stated that there were hundreds of cases of people being sick from the virus and some were than confirmed dead. After hearing about the news, I froze and realized that my brother and the rest of our family are in California. I began to shiver a bit from fearing that he and the rest of our family were sick and/or may die. I looked to see their pantry in the kitchen were somewhat stockpiled for months.

"Good thing we're prepared for this." I heard Tom spoke.

"After all, Tom, we have to stay inside. That Lucy is somewhat pleased that she stays at home in hopes to see more rabbits." Tom's wife spoke.

"Yes... however, she'll be able to occupy herself without interfering with rabbits."

"I just don't want any more rabbits being attacked again from Bob or Tab. Don't forget about the curse!" I lightly chuckled from the fact that she hasn't forgotten the heed of warning I gave her. I than resumed watching the news that it was also affecting most of the countries outside the United States of America.

"Was that I got sick from?" I questioned myself.

"Kevin! What are you doing?!" I heard Bigwig calling for me.

I jumped down and hopped my way back to the garden. The _Owsla_ gathered the _flayrah_ and were about ready to return home.

"What were you doing?! Trying to compromise us?" Bigwig questioned me.

"No! I noticed the window was opened and I had to... I had to make sure Tab didn't climb out here." I answered, as I stumbled a bit.

"Very well, but you can't always be curious to guard the window." Bigwig told me.

"Understood, Bigwig." I acknowledged.

"Are you alright, Kevin?" Hazel asked me.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I'm not worried about disciplinary action. Just heard something from inside the house." I answered back.

"Were the humans up to something?" Bigwig asked me.

"Not exactly... however something is going on in the human world though." I feared. "We could talk about this when we get back." We grabbed what we could bring the _flayrah _back to the warren. After we delivered the _flayrah_, I excused myself to a isolation around the warren. The virus was in the back of my mind that I couldn't let go, because I remember that I was sick and it took awhile to recover.

* * *

The evening came and the night was very different. I could remember seeing further in the distance that youths would go out into the fields, but not a single sight of them were there. The virus was serious that had everyone stay at their homes. I could hear sirens of ambulances nearby, as they were probably taking someone who is sick to the hospital. It was the moment that I became scared.

"Kevin, you're not thinking about staying out here all night are you?" I turned to see Captain Holly, Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Clover, Blackberry and Bluebell.

"Sorry, guys. I just something I saw today. The fear has taken over me." I apologized.

"Here now, son. What is it? Tell me." Captain Holly comforted me.

"There's a virus going on in the human world." I informed them. "I don't know it would affect on you guys, but the only reason I'm saying this, is because I was affected by it, too. I guess."

"You?" Clover questioned.

"It must be. I was very weak and it wasn't like a ordinary flu. I couldn't be able to breath nor have any strength. I think that was why I wasn't changed back into a rabbit."

"What was it, then?" Hazel asked.

"The virus. They call it COVID-19 or Cornoavirus. It's basically a flu, but it's very dangerous because it also causes breathing problems."

"We remember you were shortness of breath, when you were sick." Blackberry recalled.

"Yes. However, thanks to you guys, I was able to recover. However, it wasn't just me that is affected, it was all over the world. Including my home country." The rabbits couldn't be able to say anything about this. "I don't think of something that you guys should worry about it affecting on you. However, I'm worried that my family may have gotten it. Because people gotten sick with the virus back in my home state." I was than in bit of tears and becoming more afraid.

"Kevin..." Hazel spoke. "I'm sure your family will be alright, especially your brother. However, there are a few things that it's best to do when something like this happen."

"What is that, Hazel?" I asked.

"Well..." Bigwig cleared his throat. "...it's important that you don't go into a paranoia panic. If fears takes hold of you, you'll go _tharn_ brother."

"_Thalyli _is right, Kevin." Captain Holly agreed. "However, you must remain calm when something like this happen."

"Another thing is..." Hawkbit spoke. "...be healthful, by taking care of your health."

"In effort to avoid of being sick." Dandelion added.

"Above all, it's best to be optimistic and don't give up hope." Clover added.

"And of course, be able to look forward for a better tomorrow, brother." Fiver finished.

After hearing these words of wisdom from a wonderful family, it took minutes to pack it into my brain. "Basically, you shouldn't have to worry about anything Kevin. I'm sure it's basically normal for humans to go very fearful when it comes to illnesses like this." Blackberry spoke, before he was given a kiss by Bluebell.

"Also to top it off, you humans will be able to look back some jokes that you humans could laugh." Bluebell added.

"This is not a thing we do Bluebell! And stop encouraging him inappropriate jokes!" Bluebell exclaimed.

"Well there's a few jokes out there, especially toilet paper. That I don't want to go over." I said.

"Oh please, can you come up with a joke?" Bluebell asked me to do a joke, but Blackberry stared him down.

I than smiled. "I don't know what to do, without you guys."

They all smiled back at me. "We're all here for each other, Kevin." Hazel reminded me. "How about we sit out here for a star gaze?"

I nodded. "Sure. The stars are beautiful out tonight."

"Perhaps a song could top it all off, if you're in a better mood." Captain Holly suggested.

"Alright." I pulled out my phone and managed to find a song. "This song is real classic. It's a song I did perform when I was in Kindergarten, by signing. Also, just to give us comfort that this world is also beautiful, despite the dangers." We listened to the song, as we watched the stars. The words from my family comforted me that it's best to not to worry too much about these things, at the same time take precautions on how to take care of my health and looking out for others health as well.

_I see trees of green, red roses too_  
_I see them bloom for me and you_  
_And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_I see skies of blue and clouds of white_  
_The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night_  
_And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky_  
_Also on the faces of people going by_  
_I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do_  
_They're only saying I love you_

_I see babies crying, I watch them grow_  
_They'll learn so much more than I'll ever know_  
_Then I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_Oh yeah_


End file.
